Indigo Saga
by jonrock411
Summary: Nine years after the end of a great war, Red Satoshi is thirteen years old, and thus a man. Setting off on his Pokemon journey with his trusty Bulbasaur, Red will face strange creatures, traverse dangerous enviroments, battle corrupt criminals, and discover a secret that will change the fate of his entire country forever.
1. The Journey Begins

So this is my adaptation of Pokemon Red, taking elements from the games, anime, manga, fan concepts, and my own interpretation of the events. Things may not add up 100% but the same basic story elements will be present.

* * *

 _ **August 17th, 1965**_

 _ **Western Unovan Front**_

The sounds of Pokemon cries and the stench of pokeball releases lingered in the air, as Private Edwards moved slowly behind the rest of his platoon, the tall grass making visibility in any distance past his own arm length near impossible. His olive uniform was clingy and smelled faintly of piss, commander had them all spray themselves with some liquid, supposedly it kept wild Pokemon away. Edwards glanced nervously out toward the grass. He had three pokemon at his waist, nothing special, the standard Unovan Army grunt trio of Herdier, Tranquill, and Roggenrolla. As his buddy, Marshal put it back at boot camp: one to hit, one to fly, and one to use as a suicide bomb. A shiver went up Edwards' spine as he ran a finger along the pokeball containing the last one. The thought of its explosive capability held in check by some unexplainable process, one created by a company in the enemy lands, kept him up at night.

"Company, halt" his commander's voice echoed in his head, thanks to the Solosis that Sergeant Wayne carried with him with him all times. "Come toward me". Edwards followed the order as the group crowded around Wayne. He was a gruff man, marked by a thin scar running from the left corner of his mouth to his ear. Wayne pointed a short finger toward a bespectacled man near Edwards, "Thomas, we've been walking around in this godforsaken grass for hours, where the fuck is the Kantonese?"

Thomas clicked furiously on the device strapped to his wrist as he looked through the files that had been given to them by the Champion, "That's what it says, according to our plans, the Kanto Army was attacking this spot at this time." Wayne swore as he recalled Solosis, the gooey green orb going back into the pokeball as a burst of a smell like burnt toast filled the air. Edwards glanced between the two, eyes wide with anticipation as the others started checking the grass around them. For what he didn't know, it wasn't like the Kantoese would pop up and challenge them to a battle, those days were far gone.

Wayne continued staring at Thomas as the tension continued to build as a faint whining noise echoed inside Edwards' head. Wayne turned away from Thomas as he scanned the horizon, but the whining only grew louder. Rubbing the inside of his ear with a finger, Edwards glanced up, shielding his eyes from the sun. His eyes widened as a jet fighter started to fly off from the field, a single spherical object falling from it. . "Sergeant?!" he cried, thrusting his finger toward the plane as Wayne and the rest looked toward the sky.

"Those bastards, they went for an air attack, fine by me." Wayne said as he reached for his waist, "Solosis, go! Call out your Herdiers!" the gooey orb flew out from the ball with a soft cooing as it moved to Wayne's shoulder. Edwards reached for the first orb on his waist, clicking the center button as the men around him did the same, calling out a black and brown furred canine, fangs bared and waiting. The men watched the falling orb, waiting for its release.

And waiting.

The orb continued to fall, still unopened. "Maybe it's a dud?" Edwards asked hopefully as Wayne shook his head.

"No, it'll open." As he said this, the ball did burst open in an explosive burst of light as the data contained in the ball transmuted into a humanoid figure slightly taller than Wayne. Edwards prepared to command his Herdier to go for its legs when the figure finally formed.

And everything died.

The figure glanced at the desert landscape left from its attack, the rusted metal machinery, the gleaming white bones of its enemies. It turned its eyes westward, toward the still departing plane and waved a hand. The plane disappeared in a burst of light before the figure did the same.

XXXXXX

 _ **Nine Years Later**_

 _ **Pallet Town, Kanto**_

"Today, we celebrate the ninth anniversary of our victory over the Unovan people, a parade will be held in Celadon City to celebrate said victory, and sources say that Lance himself may even make an appearance. As always, I am DJ Mary, and now the weath..." the radio clicked off as Red rose from his bed, wiping the sand from his eyes and running a hand through his unruly black hair. Yawning as he pulled on his clothes, a pair of jeans, black shirt, red vest, nothing special and he guessed having the color he was named for in his vest and hat was a bit tacky, but he shrugged it off. Pulling on said ball cap, he reached into his desk and grabbed the potion spray he had gotten for his birthday the day prior and placed it into his bag.

Flying down the stairs, Red crashed right into his mother, nearly knocking both of them down. "Ow! Sorry, mom, but I have to get going to the Prof's lab before all the Pokemon are taken!" he said, trying to rush out of their small two room house. His mom grabbed his arm, stopping his momentum instantly. "But mom!" Red cried.

"Don't but mom me." His mom said, pointing at the table in the center of the room. "Oak will still have a Pokemon left for you, it's not like Pallet has that many people leaving today. We're not Celadon, you know." Letting go of his arm and moving to the small stove, "Now you're going to get a good breakfast in you before you go. I don't have any control over what you eat out in the wilds, but I'm going to get some good food in you beforehand."

Placing a plate of eggs in front of him, she watched bemused as Red started scarfing them down. "You know mom," he said between bites, "most trainers eat wild pokemon while we're out there" he continued, jabbing his fork toward her. "So I'll probably do that."

His mom paled, "I'm going to try to not think of that, thank you very much."

Red finished eating as he got up from the table, moving to the sink as he washed off his plate and placed it on the counter to be dried later. He chuckled, "Guess I'm leaving you with one last dirty dish, huh mom."

His mom smiled, "I'll just have you do the dishes when you come home." She broke her gaze from him for a second, "Are you sure you want to do this, Red? Seeing the world? You could stay here in Pallet, continue your education, work for Oak."

Red waved a hand around the small room, "I don't want to stay in Pallet, it has nothing for me. I need to see the world, experience new things, get the land under my feet and the air of adventure in my lungs."

"That's what your dad said," His mom said, quicker than either expected. Red paused, the air between them thick with the awkward silence generated.

"I'm not my dad, mom. I'll come back, and I'll tell you all about it." Red flashed a thumbs up at her, "I promise."

His mom smiled, wiping her eyes with a nearby washcloth. "I know, Red." Red looked at her, hesitantly before she nodded. "Right. All boys leave home someday. Write me whenever you can." Red nodded back as he pulled his bag strap tight and walked out into the town, skipping along the cobblestones.

His mom watched him as he left, his red form fading into the distance as she sat down. 13 years old, a man by Kanto standards, and out into a world of fearsome creatures. Possibly never coming home. She bit her lip as she watched the last vestiges of his form before burrowing her face into her hands, unable to watch him disappear fully.

XXXXXX

Red burst through the door of the lab, blinking slightly in the sudden brightness of the white room, the smell of antiseptic thick in the air. The walls were covered in blinking lights and large gleaming computers as various aides ran around, checking readouts of the various Pokemon sleeping underground. "Red, you've made it." A cocky voice called from the front of the room as Red glanced forward to see a boy his age standing there. With a mess of unruly brown hair, and clad in a simple dark t-shirt and purple pants, Blue Oak stood there, arms crossed and the cocky grin plastered across his face.

"Hey Blue," Red said as he made his way toward the fellow trainer, "Surprised you're here, didn't want to continue at that fancy Viridian school any longer, or did they finally kick you out?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"No, not really" Red shrugged as he leaned against the Professor's desk. "So where's the old man?" he asked, looking around for any sight of the Professor.

"I'm right here, Red," A chirpy voice said as Oak entered the room from a nearby door, "Sorry to keep you waiting, I was busy working on a fascinating new project and I had gotten distracted. I hope you two can forgive me." Oak grinned, his slightly wrinkled skin stretching as he did so as he brushed his red sweater and adjusted the lapels of his lab coat, stepping back to take them in. "Red Satoshi and Blue Oak, on this, the first August after your thirteenth year, I, Samuel Oak, do hereby grant you the choice of these three Pokemon.

Pressing a button behind him, the machine Blue had been standing next to hummed as three red and white orbs arose from its depths. Red grinned, finally his first pokeball and inside, his first Pokemon. Next to him, Blue was sporting a similar grin. Both trainers shared a knowing look, this was it, the first step into their Pokemon journey.

Oak looked at them knowingly, "Now, as you well know, I give you the choice of a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. So, which will it be? Blue, I assume you'll want first pick."

Blue walked over to the pokeballs, wandering around them, staring at each one closely. "I think I will pick..." Red leaned forward, waiting to hear what choice his eternal rival had chosen. "Red to choose first." Blue stepped away from the balls, dramatically waving his hand outward to allow Red in. "I figure it's the least I can do, after all these years."

Red and Oak stared at Blue dumbfounded before Red leaped forward, taking the chance he was given. "Thanks, Blue!." Red looked at the three balls, each containing a powerful pokemon. Did he want the ferocious power of Charizard? The sleek swiftness of Blastoise? Red briefly reached toward the Squirtle before pulling away. No, he knew what he wanted. Red grabbed the ball containing Bulbasaur and lifted it in the air. "I'm gonna go with Bulbasaur!"

Oak laughed, "Ah, the Seed pokemon, excellent choice, do you care to nickname it anything? A nickname always helps a Pokemon become closer to its trainer." He moved to his computer, as he brought up Red's trainer profile and entered the Bulbasaur, his fingers waiting over the keys for the nickname.

Red paused a second before laughing, "I'm gonna call it Sauro!" Oak typed in the name as the computer and Pokeball both beeped, registering Sauro to Red.

"That's a stupid name." Blue snorted, "Nicknames are for losers who don't understand Pokemon are just animals meant to make us look good. That's why I'm going with Charmander because it beats your dumb Sauro." Another couple of beeps registered the Charmander to Blue as Oak glared at his grandson behind Blue's back.

"Well, now that you've both chosen your lifelong partner" Oak said, his voice rising on the final words as he leaned towards Blue. Blue paying him no mind. "I have one last gift" Oak handed them both a small red computer device and some pokeballs, "This is a Pokedex. I made the first one ten years ago, it can register all 178 Pokemon available in the Kanto region, this includes all recently discovered evolutions and infant forms. Including the ancient Pokemon that we recently discovered how to revive and that so-called digital pokemon, the Porygon line." The Professor rolled his eyes on that last one.

Red quickly clicked it open, reading through the pages of info for Bulbasaur as Blue cocked an eyebrow. "What if we run into Pokemon outside the 178, like if we want to go east to Johto or north to Sinnoh?"

"Well Blue," Oak said as he sighed, "If you somehow managed to get past the walls of isolation preventing travel between the regions, there are upgrades for other Pokemon. Any other questions?"

"What if I catch a mythical Pokemon, like one of the great birds? I don't see them included in your count?"

"Blue, if you catch a myth, I will personally put the info in myself," Oak said, exasperated. Red started moving toward the exit, eager for his journey to begin.

"Hold up, Red," Blue called, stepping forward, tossing his new pokeball between his hands. "I want to see how strong this lizard is, so I'm thinking we have ourselves a good old one on one."

Red glanced at Oak, waiting for him to intervene but the Professor just held up his hands in mock surrender, "Sorry Red, but as of now, you're both official League trainers, you can't turn down his challenge."

Blue laughed, "See Gramps knows what's what. Now go, Charmander!" The pokeball flew from hand as it let loose its burst of data, forming it into a small bipedal orange reptile with a cream underside and sharp claws from its forearms. It roared softly, blinking it's cyan eyes as it waved its tail, the duct at the end igniting into a small flame. Charmander roared again, looking expectantly at Red.

"Alright then" Red shouted, reaching for his own pokeball, "I choose you, Sauro!" His ball flew as the data formed into a small wide turquoise quadruped reptile, covered in dark spots. It's back was dominated by the small green bulb that covered it as Sauro looked back at Red with his large red eyes, waiting for a command.

"Right, Sauro! Use Tackle!" Red shouted as Blue ordered Charmander to scratch. Sauro leaped forward, slamming into the ground where the Charmander had just been. The orange pokemon leaped past Sauro, thrusting its claws toward his exposed side as Sauro slid out of the way, the claws scratching harmlessly against the metal of a nearby computer.

Sauro turned back toward Charmander who eyed the Bulbasaur warily, shaking its claws. "Charmander, use Growl!" Blue cried as Red told Sauro to tackle again. Sauro moved to leap forward when Charmander growled softly at it. Sauro tried to slow down it's leap, smashing into Charmander with half the force it would normally. Charmander seized the brief moment of opportunity and attacked, running it's claws across Sauro's face.

"Sauro!" Red cried out as the pokemon roared in pain. "Quick, tackle it again" Sauro nodded as it slammed into Charmander's fleshy underside. Charmander responded with another scratch, this time shredding part of the bulb. Sauro leaped toward it again, only for Charmander to dodge and Sauro to slam into the cold tile. Charmander scratched at Sauro again, this time drawing a line of red as blood started to drip onto the tile. Another scratch,this time across the face, send Sauro flying back into the computer, as it lay there unmoving.

"Sauro, return!" Red cried, bringing Sauro back to the safety of his pokeball. He glared hard at Blue who started to make his way to the door. "You hurt Sauro!"

"Hey, I'm better, your weak pokemon couldn't keep up. I won't be the first loss you receive, Red" Blue called as he left. Red held his pokeball as he stared at the door in disbelief. He had actually lost, he had failed Sauro as a trainer.

"It was luck," Oak said finally, Red turning to him with a start. "His growl made Sauro wary to attack, nothing more, nothing less. You'll beat him next time." Red nodded with a small grin as Oak walked over and grabbed the ball, placing it back on the machine and pressing a button. The machine beeped and Oak returned Sauro, "There, he should be fully healed of all injuries."

"Thanks, Professor!" Red said as he placed the ball back on his belt and walked out the door into his first journey as a Pokemon trainer.

XXXXXX

A few hours later

Red and Sauro moved slowly through the grass of Route 1, stalking their new found prey. A plump brown and cream bird with pink talons and beak and dark feathers around its eyes. It paid them no mind, chewing on a small green insect. Red held up his hand, waiting for the right time when it turned around, revealing its back to them. "Now Sauro! Leech Seed!"

Sauro's bulb burst open slightly as a small seed flew out on a vine, latching onto the Pidgey who cried out as the seed started to absorb energy, weakening the Pidgey as Sauro grew stronger. Sauro broke the connection, the vine falling away harmlessly, as the Pidgey stumbled, dazed and confused. Red reached into his bag as he threw one of his pokeballs.

The pokeball hit the bird as it transmuted it into data and closed. The ball shook with the Pidgey's struggle, once...twice...a beep echoed from the ball, registering the Pidgey to Red who entered it's new name, Pidgo, into the Pokedex. Red grinned as he showed the ball to Sauro who roared in equal glee.

Red released Pidgo who came out, flying around Red in small circles before landing on his shoulder and cooing. Red scratched him beneath its beak as he glanced at Sauro with a relieved grin. "Good to know the calming mechanism still works, huh Sauro?" Sauro roared heartily as Red returned them both to their Pokeballs.

"Alright, next stop, Viridian City."

XXXXXX

Meanwhile back at the lab, Oak was checking his messages. "Hm? From Indigo Plateau?" He read as he clicked on the video message. A ginger man, clad in dark clothing and a red coat addressed the camera. "Greetings, I am Lance of the Kanto Elite Four. For ten years, we have been without a Champion, and while we four have governed Kanto and our sister region, Johto, well...time has come for a real leader. So we have set forth a challenge, any trainer who can defeat all four of us will take the place of Champion and lead our country into a grand future. However, in order to ensure the challengers are worthy of the position, only those who have defeated all eight gyms, and have the badges to prove it, may face us. We hope to see you here soon, good luck."

Oak clicked off the video and leaned back in his chair, a new champion? That'll be interesting. He looked at the two empty spots on the Pokeball container. Perhaps it'll be Red or Blue who takes the spot. Perhaps...he got up, as he started to close up for the night, his thoughts wild with possibilities.

* * *

Slight Note: In regards to the 178 Pokemon, I've always viewed the Pokedex as more of a registry for what Pokemon the trainer has caught and that is how I'll be using it. Each region has it's own Pokedex, and then there's the "National Pokedex" which contains every Pokemon. 178 is how many Kanto Pokemon exist if you including every evolution and pre-evolution connected to them that have debuted in later generations, and subtract all the legendaries (being legendaries, it makes no sense they would be included in a encyclopedia since most would assume they don't exist, if they even know what they are.).


	2. The Challenge

And we continue with chapter two!

To DOD: Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 _ **August 18th, 1974**_

 _ **Oak Laboratories, Pallet Town, Kanto**_

The lab was dark and abandoned, most of the aides having gone home for the night. A single flashing light echoed from an upstairs window, as she cursed her luck. Her sources had told her Oak took long hours, but it was already well past midnight. She shifted her weight on the roof from which she had been watching the lab that night, the slanted shingles providing just enough grip to keep her from falling to her death.

The light finally clicked off and a few moments later Oak walked out the front door, locking it and lazily moping his way down the road. She continued her watch of him for just a few moments more, watching as his form disappeared behind a corner. A smirk flashed upon her face as she grabbed a Pokeball from her belt, clicking the button as the data formed into a small green and yellow larvae with red antennae. "Kitkat, String Shot the upper left window," she whispered as the Caterpie fired a series of long white lines towards the window, forming a solid line. Returning the bug Pokemon, she grabbed the line, pulling on it to test its hold and then stepped off the roof.

Moving over the street, hand over hand, she reached the window, pressing her feet against the wall on either side as she temporarily let go of the line with one hand, releasing another Pokemon. This time it formed into a much larger creature, a floating orb of gas slightly smaller than her own height. Large eyes formed as the orb split into a wide grin as she cocked her head toward the window. The Gastly flew through the window, and after a few seconds the lock clicked open. Pressing a foot gingerly against the window, it opened inward. Climbing inside and pulling the line behind her, she stepped onto a desk.

"Good job, Phantos," she said as she returned the ghost Pokemon and climbed off the desk. Brushing dirt off her blue top and jeans, she scanned the room. It was mostly empty, some notes scattered here and there, but besides the desk she stepped in on and the accompanying chair, it was minimalistic when it came to furniture. Looking back at the desk, she noted the small piece of paper next to the chunky computer that she thanked her stars she missed when climbing in. It was crumpled some thanks to her entry, but the writing was still mostly legible.

 _Oak Note: Tell Blue and Red about Open League Challenge._

Her fist clenched tight as she took a deep breath. Tying her long brown hair back in a ponytail, she started to move downstairs. Of course, Oak would tell Blue and Red about said challenge, they would have left before the official announcement earlier that night. Not like anyone would consider her for such a challenge. It was like her mother would always say, "Adventuring is no life for a proper Pallet Town lady, Green Verte." Green gritted her teeth as she pushed her way into the main lab. This room was larger than the previous one, packed to the brim with large humming machines. She walked past most, neither understanding nor caring about their purpose. She had a mission to do.

Arriving at a small machine to the back of the room, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small drive, inserting it into the side of the machine. A low humming generated from the machine as lights started to flash on the sides, one after another. Glancing nervously at the door, Green relaxed as she realized no one could see the lights from outside. Finally, the machine revealed it's prize, a single Pokeball.

Green grabbed it, placing it on her belt, as she pulled a mobile phone from her pocket. Pressing a couple numbers, she put it to her ear and waited for the call to connect.

"Yeah?" a young voice, tinged with annoyance, asked.

"There was only one left. Red and Blue must have the other starters."

The other end was silent for a few minutes before they sighed, "If my sources are correct, they have Bulbasaur and Charmander, you should have Squirtle with you then."

Green didn't bother to check the Pokemon, leaving it unreleased as she started to move back upstairs for her escape. "I do. Anything else you want me to do here?"

"No. Oak poses little threat and his other Pokemon are either weak or old. They wouldn't survive being moved. Just move on to Cinnabar."

"Understood." As a dial tone rang into her ear, Green placed the phone back into her pocket. Looking at the Pokeball she took, she sighed, "I hope you're what we want, Squirtle. For Kanto's sake."

XXXXXX

Red's shoes tapped along the paved roads of Viridian, the soft cawing of Pidgo behind him. He had let her out as he explored the city, hoping to give her and Sauro some fresh air. Said Bulbasaur was currently resting on his shoulder, red eyes wide with wonder at the city. Viridian wasn't a big city by most standards, especially when compared to places like Celadon or Saffron to the southeast, but compared to Pallet, it might as well be a brand new world. Red had spent nearly hours looking at all the sites. Even though he'd lived near the city his entire life, his mom had never let him go off to visit it.

His stomach rumbled as Red patted his belly and started to look for some place to grab something to eat. Most places nearby were dark, having closed up for the night, but there was still a few flashes of neon here and there. Red placed his hands in his pockets as he looked for one of those that seemed to actually serve food, grinning as he spied a small establishment called "Poliwag Corner". Reaching the door, he pushed his way inside.

Immediately he was blasted by the worst smell his nostrils had ever been exposed to. It was like an odd mixture of an old sewer, vomit, and cigarette smoke. A wounded cry from his shoulder indicated Sauro felt the same way. Pidgo, for her part, seemed to not mind. Her only response to any of this was landing on Red's hat to keep from flying into one of the many ceiling fans that dotted the wooden roofing. The floor creaked as Red walked further in, taking care to avoid the many puddles of varying colors and consistencies.

"Hey, kid!" the man behind the bar, a large man with a thick mustache who left his prime a long time ago, shouted at him. Glancing over, Red raised a quizzical eyebrow. Pointing at his Pokemon, the bartender continued, "We don't allow their kind here. Either stow them or get out." Grumbling, Red clicked the button on their Pokeballs, the bright light signaling their return to the balls. The bartender turned back to his work, satisfied with Red's action.

Reaching the bar, Red hopped up on a stool as he looked over the menu. "I'll take a plate of fried Shellder, and a freshwater," Red ordered, placing the money on the bar. The bartender took the cash as he shouted the order to the back. Leaning against the bar, Red glanced around the room. It was mostly empty, most of the patrons seeming to be travelers like him. The glow of a handful of TVs positioned on the ceiling drew his attention, as they appeared to be playing a battle.

"We return to the final round of this Stadium semifinal of the Prime Cup: Ultra Ball, where a hot battle is unfolding!" the announcer shouted as the two trainers stared at each other from opposite ends of the arena. In front of them stood their Pokemon. In the blue corner was a large spherical Pokemon like an upside down Pokeball. While a violet prehistoric winged reptile with fierce jaws stood in the red. Checking his Pokedex, Red noted with surprise that reptile facing the Electrode was an Aerodactyl, one of the new fossil Pokemon recently revived.

The Aerodactyl struck first, rushing at the Electrode with immense speed, only to be sent flying off by the dome of psychic energy that formed around the sphere.

"That attack just bounced off!" shouted the announcer as the crowd cheered.

Bursts of lightning flew out of the Electrode, as Aerodactyl gracefully dodged each bolt, roaring in mockery as the Electrode responded with a screeching noise that was probably it's own form of roaring, Red realized.

The Aerodactyl opened its jaws as a burst of white-hot flame flew out, enveloping the Electrode whose screeching grew higher pitched. The reptile flew closer in, fangs primed to bite into the electric ball when the entire arena was suddenly rocked by a large explosion. The Aerodactyl was sent twirling backwards through the air before it slammed to the ground hard. Both Pokemon were returned as the crowd grew silent, waiting to see what would happen next. Red clenched his fist, barely paying attention to the plate and bottle placed in front of him.

"What a furious battle! The winner of the semifinal is...George from Vermillion City, Kanto!" The crowd roared in delight as a soft weathered chuckle brought Red back to reality.

"First time seeing the tournaments from Stadium Island, boy?" an old man said, as he sat on the stool next to Red. Red nodded as he took a bite of the Shellder on his plate. Red's tastebuds revolted, the shellfish tasting like wet cardboard, but he swallowed nonetheless. Terrible food is better than no food, and rudeness was never a good thing. The old man laughed as he watched Red. "First time eating the food from the Poliwag too, huh?" The bartender flipped the old man off but the elder ignored him. "What did you have, kid? Tell me it wasn't the Magikarp. Roy here gets them from some shady fuck up near Mt. Moon, and let me tell you, those things ain't fresh. Even by Magikarp standards."

Red took a swig of the water, which at least was fresh, as he tried to rid his mouth of the taste. "Shellder," he answered as he turned to the old man. "How do they battle without commands? How do the Pokemon know how to move?" The questions flew out of him one after the other, his voice growing more and more excited before the old man stopped him with a sharp knock to his forehead.

"Do you not trust your Pokemon, boy?" the old man asked as Red rubbed his head. "Look, I assume you know the basics about how each Pokemon is allowed to only use four moves at a time, and those moves are registered to the Pokemon's ball with each new move having to replace an old one if you want them to use other parts of their movesets." Red nodded as the old man continued. "Pokemon know what moves are registered and can use them just fine on instinct. Your job is to know what moves to register and when to use what Pokemon. You're a trainer, not a commander."

Not a commander. Red grew silent at that. The old man was right; he should trust Sauro and Pidgo and any others he met along the way. They were partners, not weapons, that was his father had always said when Red was young. Red smiled at the old man in appreciation as the two started talking about the actual battle.

XXXXXX

The next day, Red was deep in the grass of Route 22, Sauro right beside him as Pidgo circled above them. The smell of evergreen trees filled the air as Red sat down in frustration. Pidgo landed on his shoulder as she cocked a questioning head. "It's nothing," Red assured her as he waved a hand at the grass around them. "I just wish the Pokemon would actually show up."

As if called by his complaint, a small purple rodent with large ears and a tiny horn nuzzled against his leg. Pidgo cawed in delight as Sauro glanced over at them, eyes narrowed for battle. Red held up his hand as he reached for his waist. Holding the Pokeball up the small male Nidoran, Red shook it. "You want to go with me, little Nido?" he asked as the Nidoran squeaked in the affirmative, nuzzling closer to Red who tapped it lightly with the ball. A few clicks later and Nido was now his. Red released the orb as he looked at the small rodent who patted his stomach softly before falling asleep on his stomach.

"You thief!" a familiar voice shouted as Red returned Nido to his ball and rose from his seat. Blue stomped into view from down the road, his Charmander on his shoulder and a bird with red-tipped wings and a grim brown-feathered face flying behind him. Blue pointed at Red accusingly. "I was hunting that worthless rodent and you stole it from me!"

Red scoffed in disbelief. "Nido all but walked in the ball himself, and anyway it wasn't stolen. Pokeballs don't work on Pokemon registered to other trainers. You're just sore you couldn't catch one."

Blue's glare narrowed as he growled at Red. "Spearow! Go!" The other bird flew towards Red, beak aimed for his face as Red moved quickly out of the way, the attack just barely missing him as the Spearow moved to adjust its flightpath.

Red looked back at Blue, his eyes wide with fear. Blue tried to attack him, not his Pokemon, but him. Just because Nido joined him and not Blue. What the hell was going on here.

"Pidgo!" Red shouted as she looked at him, "Take out that Spearow." Pidgo cawed as she flew toward the other bird, the two circling each other warily. The tension grew taut as the two eyed each other before it snapped, and both flew toward each other.

Spearow flew at Pidgo, its beak slicing across her back as Pidgo cried out in pain. Spearow turned, rushing in for another attack as Pidgo dodged it, moving closer to the ground. Pidgo's talons raked the ground, as Pidgo suddenly flew backwards from Spearow, tossing sand into it's face.

The other bird shrieked as it shook the sand from its face, and glared at Pidgo, eyes narrowing in anger. Pidgo cawed sweetly as it looked at Red, flying around in a circle happily. Suddenly a loud shriek from Spearow drew Pidgo's attention back to the battle, only for her breast to be pierced by Spearow's beak. Over and over, Spearow plunged his beak into Pidgo who cried out in pain as Spearow kicked off her. Circling to the ground, Pidgo started to fall as Red recalled her.

The Spearow shrieked in delight as it took a victory lap around the small meadow, only to be cut off as a thick vine wrapped around it's neck, slamming it to the ground. Sauro retracted his vine as Red nodded at him. Sauro roared as the Spearow shook its head gingerly. The bird flew toward Sauro whose bud burst open and a flurry of seeds flew out. The Spearow dodged every one with a mocking shriek before diving toward Sauro and scratching his face with its talons.

Two thick vines shot out from under Sauro's bud as they wrapped around Spearow's legs, slamming it into the ground hard. The flying Pokemon let out a single weak shriek as Blue recalled it, his Charmander hopping off his shoulder with a roar. Sauro held up his vines in a battle stance, ready to rematch the fire Pokemon.

"No, not this time," Red replied as he withdrew Sauro. He couldn't let Sauro battle Charmander, not after last time. However Pidgo was in no mood to battle. Blue looked at him, fist clenched and face red with anger, waiting for him to make a move. "Fine, Blue, you wanted to see this Pokemon, then fine. Nido! I choose you!"

The purple rodent formed onto the meadow as he squeaked in confusion, looking back and forth between the Charmander and Red. Red nodded at him as Nido's fur bristle and he aimed his horn at Charmander who roared in reply. The orange reptile rushed forward, a small burst of flame flying from it's mouth as Nido quickly dodged it, the attack only scorching a small bit of the meadow. Charmander continued firing small bursts of fire as Nido continued to dodge them, the small meadow near them starting to catch and burn. Red and Blue both backed away from the emerging blaze as Nido squeaked in slight terror. Another burst of fire made him back up as Red realized with alarm what the Charmander was doing. Fire raged all around Nido, leaving him alone with Charmander

Charmander growled as it flashed its fangs. Its tail swung back and forth as it slowly moved toward Nido who turned to face the fire Pokemon. Nido glowed blue as he kicked his legs back, getting ready for an attack. Charmander opened his mouth, getting ready for another burst of flame when Nido leapt towards him. The first kick from Nido closed Charmander's mouth hard, causing a small whimper from the reptile. Nido landed from that attack, and pushed off the ground, sending another kick to the side of Charmander's head, sending him flying out of the fire ring and into the ground of the meadow where he landed, unmoving.

Red and Blue recalled their Pokemon as they ignored each other for a moment to kick sand onto the fire. The two stood there in silence for a moment, looking at the dark circle where the fire had just been. Red looked up at Blue, as his rival caught his eye. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Blue? You almost killed me!" Red yelled as he moved to grab Blue's collar only for the other trainer to back up.

"I know! I'm sorry, I was just..." Blue sighed as he looked away from Red, "I was just fed up with you always getting everything I want."

Red scratched his head, "What are you talking about?" What could he have that Blue wanted? A lack of much living family? A lack of money? Blue was the heir to the famed Oak family, he had more money than some Gym Leaders. Red was the one who should be envious.

Blue waved a hand dismissively. "Forget it." His somber mood morphing into a wide grin, he cocked a head toward the west. "Check it out, Indigo Tower." Red followed his gaze as he realized with delight that Blue was right. In the distance, covered slightly by the rocky landscape was the classic purple stonework of the seat of Kanto's government. Blue glanced at Red as he turned to his neighbor. "You planning on taking the challenge?"

"Challenge?" Red asked, brows furrowed as he tried to remember if anyone had mentioned a challenge over the night. He faintly remembered someone talking about something at the Pokemart, but he couldn't remember what it was.

"Elite Four said any trainer who could get all eight badges in the Kanto region could challenge them for the right to become Champion."

"Not Johto?" Red asked. The two region shared an Elite Four so fairly the Johtish should get a chance. But then again the Elite Four had never been fair to the Johtish.

Blue shrugged. "I don't know, Gramps didn't say. He said to tell you though, see if you're up for it. So how about it, want to see who can become Champion?" He stuck out a hand toward Red, his typical cocky grin on his face.

Red grabbed the hand and shook it. "You got it, Blue. See you when you show up to challenge me for my spot!"

"Please, you'll be challenging me," Blue's smile grew as two shared a laugh, briefly forgetting years of rivalry. Blue recovered first as he patted Red's back. "Hey look, don't think this means I'll be nice to you now. I'm still going to cream you in future battles. We're 1-1 now, and that's only because you had me outnumbered."

Red smirked. "Uh-huh, whatever you say."

Blue started moving back to the city. "Gym here is closed because the leader is off on business or something stupid like that, but Pewter is just through the forest so that's where I'm headed. You want to come along. I could hold your hand through the scary forest, so nobody hurts precious little Red."

Red rolled his eyes at his mocking. "No, I think I can manage some Caterpie and Weedles myself. I'm gonna head to the Pokecenter anyway, head out in the morning."

Nodding, Blue shrugged. "So be it. Early Spearow, blah blah blah," he trailed off as he walked away from Red who moved in the other direction to the Pokecenter.

XXXXX

The next morning, Red rose from his makeshift bed as he pulled on his hat and retrieved his Pokemon from the nurse. "Thank you for staying with us! Your Pokemon are fighting fit. See you soon," she said as Red smiled at her gratefully and made his way out the door.

Blinking in the morning sun, Red held his fists tight as he started to move toward the north. Blue was right, the only reasonable way to Pewter was through the forest. All he had to do was get through the forest full of creepy disgusting horrific bugs. That was nothing, nothing at all. He'd be fine, he had his team, he would be perfectly fine.

The large trees of the Viridian Forest came up on the horizon and the sounds of Pokemon echoed from within it's dark depths. Red gulped, he'll be fine right?

Right?


End file.
